Part 2:
I’m watching a small girl with big blue eyes play jump rope with who I assume is her mother. She’s smiling happily, singing along with what I believe to be “Cinderella, Cinderella”. Her mother suddenly stops, staring at a blank space near her child. She looks slightly panicked.
“Stop! I’ll do anything, just don’t hurt my baby!” the mother drops to her knees reaching out for her child with one hand and raising the other.
“Mommy?” she small girl looks down at her Mother and pats her head. Innocently, the child says, “it’s okay, Mommy. Who are you talking to?”
Suddenly, a bright light emerges from nowhere and fiercely engulfs the small child as the wind picking up, swarming around her. It knocks the mother back, silencing her pleads for whatever is happening to stop.
I run forward, getting closer and closer to the mother and child, but I’m thrown back by what felt like a wall. I stare helplessly as the small girl collapses. Her mother moves over to her, cradling her daughters limp body in her arms. “I’m so sorry . . . sorry . . . Jillian . . .” her mother begins to uncontrollably weep.
~
I am suddenly jolted awake and peer up at my dad.
“Uhhhh . . .” I say intelligently.
“Hey Jill, you okay? You were screaming in your sleep,” he says calmly, but I can tell he’s worried. “Would you like some water?”
“Yes, please.” I smile at him trying to reassure him that I am okay, hopefully.
Once my dad leaves the room, I lye back on my bed. “Jillian,” I say to myself, covering my eyes with my hands. ”It was just a dream, get it together. That wasn’t really you, or your mom, just a dream, a bad dream.”
My dad returns with a cup of ice water and hesitantly leaves the room after wishing me a good night. “Night,” I respond.
I don’t sleep a wink after that. Again, for the third night that week, I sit on my bed, gazing at the ceiling.
